Article feed mechanism



Oct. 16, 1956 Filed May 27, 1953 A. H. BAUMAN 2,766,869

ARTICLE FEED MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS Oct. 16, A H BAUMAN ARTICLE FEED MECHANISM Filedv May 27, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ALV/N H. BAUM/HV FIG. 2

ATTORNEYS jpile. provide an inclined guideway constraining the article United States Patent ARTICLE FEED MECHANISM Alvin H. Bauman, Detroit, Mich., assigner, by mesne assignments, to United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Application May 27, 1953, Serial No. 357,803

6 Claims. (Cl. 198-26) This invention relates to feeding mechanisms for articles and has special use in connection with the process claimed in copending application, Serial No. 324,160, by Robert L. Henry.

This copending application describes a method of mass producing electronic equipment, and the instant mechanism may be used for feeding articles, as the ceramic wafers described therein, to a dryer, one by one. In so far as the present mechanism is concerned, the type of dryer supplied by this mechanism is not material, nor is it important that the articles be fed to a dryer at all. However, a part of the dryer disclosed in copending application Serial No. 344,694 and now Patent No. 2,742,711 by Harry M. Adams is shown herein, since the present use of the invention is with that dryer.

In the referred applications, it is explained that a ceramic wafer is the preference of article being handled, and each wafer has notches in the edges thereof, provided with a metalized, liquid coating. When the articles are received by the disclosed mechanism the coatings are still vwet (prior to admission to the dryer) and thus require fspecial handling to prevent smearing of the wet coatings. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to jprovide an article feeding mechanism that accepts the Iarticles, assures that a proper number is fed to a rotating spider, the arms of which having elements that push the :articles one by one into another device or to a stock More specifically, an object of the invention is to *.travel, and in the guideway supply two reciprocating dogs spaced from each other a proper amount to define an article pocket that retains only a single article, so that when the dogs are reciprocated alternately, only one article is allowed to drop completely through the guideway for acceptance by the arms of the spider.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for timing the actuation of the dogs with the rotation of the spider so that the articles enter a track in which the spider arms are operable only at such time that they will fall between the spider arms.

A further object of the invention is to provide means in the travel of the spider arms for separating the arms from the track in which the articles are moved at or near the discharge end of the track to permit the articles to escapefrom the track without interference from the spider arms.

Other objects and features of importance such as various adjustments of the mechanism will become apparent in following the description of the illustrated form of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of the feeding mechanism, and a part of a dryer track is shown adjacent to the mechanism to accept the articles that are fed thereinto.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the feed mechanism of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view in enlarged scale showing the article guideway of the jmechanism and taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l and in the direction of the arrows.

Nice

In the accompanying drawings one embodiment of the article feed mechanism is shown in detail. It consists of a base 10 adapted to be secured by bolts 12 or the like to a suitable support, adjacent to the device into which the articles are to be fed. In this instance the articles are fed into a heat dryer D that has a track 14 from the upper surface of which rise ribs 16 and 18 that serve as a support for the articles. The track is stationary while the articles on' the track 14 are moved along the track by rods 66 (see copending application Serial No. 344,694 by Harry M. Adams).

Base l@ has an upper surface in which a substantially circular raceway 20 is formed, a part of the raceway containing a curved track 22 provided with a pair of spaced ribs 24 and 26 that form continuations of the ribs 16 and 18. In addition to the walls dening the raceway, there is a vertical and curved wall 28 along the outer edge of the curved track 22 to obviate the possibility of articles that enter the track 22 from skipping out of it. A spider 30 is secured to a vertical shaft 32 for rotation therewith, shaft 32 being rotated through a conventional gear connection with power shaft 34 that is timed by proper gearing to operate in coordination with the rods 66. The arms 36 of the spider are spring material, for example certain plastics or metals, and are suciently long that the outer ends thereof are slightly spaced inwardly of the periphery of the raceway 26 (Fig. l). Although the spider arms may be used without help, each arm 36 has a roller 38 mounted on an axis normal to the arm length, and the rollers 38 contact a part of one edge of the article to be moved along track 22.

Means 40 operative when the spider arms 36 are near the end of track 22, that is slightly beyond it are provided on the upper surface of base 10, for lifting the spider arms 36 together with the pusher element or roller 38 of each, above the article that is being moved. With the feed 4mechanism used as suggested in Fig. l, the purpose of having the spider arms elevated is to leave the articles deposited on track 14, permitting rods 66 to move them further. In the alternative, the feed mechanism could be used with devices other than dryer D, or could be used simply for depositing a number of articles in a container at a definite, known rate. Means 40 are shown as a cani 42 having a frange 44 in which there are slots 46 accommodating screws or bolts that hold the cam 42 fastened to base 10 in a selected position so that the arms 36 may ride thereover in their travel. The adjustment possibility of the cam is present so that the place of ar-ms 36 on track 22 or beyond track 22 at which they are lifted over the articles conveyed may be regulated.

The inner wall 48 of the raceWay 20 is curved toward the periphery of the base 10 at the place 4of article discharge to guide the articles smoothly as they are moved out of the feed mechanism. To minimize the amount which the spider arms 36 must be flexed for discharging the articles, an opening 59 is provided in wall 48 and constitutes a passage for rollers 38.

Means responsive to rotation of shaft 32, and hence actuation of spider 30, are provided to adnn't'articles to the track 22. Preferably, these means comprise a support plate 52 held at an angle to the upper surface of base 10 and containing a chute with a guideway 54 (Fig. 3) opening at its lower end into track 22 and having an inlet track 56 at its upper end secured to plate 52.` The guideway consists of strap 5S secured to plate 52 and supporting angle member 60. One surface of member 60 has ribs 62 and 70 fixed thereto and they are aligned with the ribs of track 56 as well as the ribs 24 and 26 of trackV '22. An apertured cover '72 is connected to plate 52 and member 60, closing the top Vof guideway 54, thevcover 7 2 containing ribs 74 and 76 parallel to the ribs 62 and 70 and prenentirig articles from escaping upwardly from the guide.- wayY or `from stacking thereon. Y

The articles entering the guideway 54are fed 22 in timed relation with the operation of the spider 38.

. rille timing is `accomplished'by the use of a rcam 78 having aplurali'ty ,of camming surfaces equal in lnur'nber to the spider arms adjustably secured to .shaft 32, and a cam Vfollower"assembly associated therewith. It includes i a follower 80 at one end of a push rod 82 constrainedv by a housing 84 adjustably secured :to plate 52, and in which therefis a pinf86 operable in a slot 8S in push rod 82. The opposite end of push rod 821s bifurcated, accommodating one end of link 9.0 by a. slot-pin connection, the opposite endV of link i90 being slotted to receive a pin 92 on a rocker 94.' The link 96 is pivoted intermediate its ends on pinr96 that is mounted on ,a dovetail, or an equivalent, supported block '98, the Vlatter being adjustable to regulate the stroke of link I90 and hence, rocker 94. For block '9S adjustment, a screw 160, ycaptive by its collar 102 in a bracket 104, is threaded inthe block 98, whereby the block 98 may lbe 'moved in response to screw rotation.V Set screw i105 is used `to lock Vthe block 98 in any selected position.

lRocker 94Y is pivoted on a suitable pivot 166 and con-Y Ytig-ht and maintain follower 80 on cam 78, a spring 120 is connected to link 90 and to a screw 122, the latter being adjustably'mounted in a threaded Vblock 124 which is, in turn, adjustably secured toplate'52 `by screws 126 which are threaded |to the plate 52 after passing through slots in the block 124. Y

- Operation to track '2,766,869 A Y e ment 38Vthcreof then comes into contact with the outer part of one of the water notches. The element 38 `is of a diameter suflicientlyrlarge to prevent any part of it from contacting the wet coating in the deeper part of the notch.

The wafer is moved along track 22 by the pusher ele- 1 nient 38 until it leaves track 22 and, in the illustrated instance, enters track 14. Then the spider arm is elevated by riding over the cam 42 thereby leaving the wafer'aud Y following the raceway for subsequently moving another wafer that will be waiting beneath the resilient fingers 181i and 132. Y e' Y Y it is understood ythatdeyiationsr from the `specific forms of the invention disclosed herein may be made so long as f for the articles and said-chute having an article guideway` parallel therewith and in confronting relation with `the curved track so that yarticles passing lthrough said guideway enter said track, a vertical shaft in said base, a horizontal spider secured to said shaft Yfor rotationV thereby,

The articles, as notched ceramic wafers, are gravity vfed into the guideway 54, entering the upper end Athereof Vby Yway of track 56.V They slide on the'ribs 62 and 70 until they encounter the stop formed by dogs 116 :and 118. Assuming the positionof the stopvis as shown in Pig. l whenthe lirst wafer. slides down the guideway 54, it will strike dog 1.18`and stop, Aother wafers behind it also being stopped. Y Asrthe shaft 32 rotatesthe link-90 is actuated, causing rocker Y94 to-withdraw dog 118 and insert dog 116 into the guideway 54,*-allowing the first Wafer to dropdown tothe dogr116 andbe held thereby. As the shaft 32'with its cam 78 is rotated further, the dog 116 is withdrawn from guideway 54 permitting the rst wafer to escape, but Y said spider including spider arms that have article pusher elements carried near 'the outer ends thereof, said elements being disposed in said curved track, an article stop ar` ranged to block said guideway, mea-ris responsive to rotationof said -shaftand thus the 'position of said spider arms, for momentarily lremoving said stop from said guidewayYV to-perrnitan article to pass ythrough the guideway and enter said curved-track, said stop removing VmeansV including ahorizontal cam having a pluralityrof camming surfaces secured to said shaft,-a cam follower in contact therewith, a link, a push rod connected to said link and said cam follower, and Va rocker -pivoted -to said ylink and said stop.

2. The combination -of -clairn flandan adjustment-block on which said `link -is mounted, and means for adjusting the position of said block to thereby adjustfthe amount of motion imparted -to said rocker by'saidjlink.

3. rI`-he combination of claim l and resilient ngers extending from said Vguidewaybeyond the ends of said guideway, to retain the larticles in apredetermined travel when they leave said guideway,

4. In an article feed mechanism, a horizontal base, a Y

one end ofsaid tr,ack,;a vertical drive shaft in said base, Y

. aspider including a pluralityoffresilient lradially extending its companion vwall-:128 onthefopposite edge of track vZ22.

proper, timedrelationjwith vthe'wafer metering 'partof the Y devices. As'thefdiscu'ssed'imaginary irst wafercomes'to restbeneath resilient dragers-130 y'and 132, a'spider'arm approaches the'rearedge of'therwaferand the pusher eiearms secured to said shaft for Vrotation therewith, said spider arms :having pusher elements Ycarried near the outer -ends thereof and being disposed vin'said curved track, a'horizontal cam -member-superimposed over said spider and secured'to rotate with said shaft, said cam member having a` plurality of V.camrning surfaces equal in numberto said 'spider arms, v an article vstop .arranged to block said guidewaya Vcam follower in contact with said camming surfaces, linkage ,means connecting .said cam follower Vto l.said ,article .stop, whereby the article Vstop is adapted to be moved into and out of said guideway to allow an article topass therethrough Vfin, response; to movement. of the cam follower. Y

5. -;The combination VYof .claim' 4', v.and Ymeans Aon said Vbase adjacent the end of said track remote fromV said one end thereof to elevate said arms.

6.1'The combination of 'claim 5 rand resilient'ngers extending,` from said guideway intosaid track,to restrain the articles untilgsaid articlesfare-engaged by-thepusher elementsof said spiderf'arms. 1

(References on following page) References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Paranteau Sept. 12, 1922 6 Loebe et a1. Dec. 2, 1930 Newman Mar. 5, 1940 Fedorchak et al. Feb. 15, 1944 Leuschner Sept. 30, 1952 Smith et a1. Nov. 25, 1952 Smith et al. Dec. 2, 1952 

